The Promise of Tomorrow
by Katy Jane
Summary: Post Endgame- One small step for Kathryn Janeway one big giant leap for J/Cers everywhere


1 Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, paramount does. No copyright infringement is intended, I just needed to fix their biggest mistake.  
  
2  
  
3 The Promise of Tomorrow  
  
By: Katy Jane  
  
Admiral Kathryn Janeway sighed to herself as she stepped out of Starfleet headquarters and began her walk home. For some reason she had been feeling nostalgic that day and many times she had found herself thinking about the past instead of the task at hand. It had been a year since they had arrived back in the alpha quadrant, bursting from the belly of a Borg sphere, much to the surprise of Starfleet. Things had gone smoothly, at least smoother that she had expected. The Maquis had been absolved of all charges and those who had Starfleet training had been allowed to keep their ranks. As for herself, she was Starfleet's golden girl, though she got the feeling that her promotion to admiral had been a way to keep her out of command of a starship and in San Francisco where they could keep an eye on her.  
  
She veered off her course slightly and opted to take a walk through the park. For a moment she actually managed to get her mind off the past but it didn't last long. Off in the distance she saw a man who for all the world looked like Chakotay. She sighed again and decided that taking the long way home was a bad decision. What she really needed was to get home and take a long hot bath. As she got closer she couldn't get over how much he looked like Chakotay. It wasn't until she was only a few meters away that she realized that it really was Chakotay.  
  
"Chakotay?" she asked still not quite believing that it could be him.  
  
He turned to look at her, "I'm sorry, do I know you?" The look of sheer confusion that washed over her face was priceless. "I'm kidding Kathryn."  
  
With out really thinking about what she was doing she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, he returned the gesture. "I can't believe its really you!" she declared.  
  
"Oh Kathryn it has been far too long," he sighed.  
  
"So," she began as they pulled apart, "where have you been keeping yourself?"  
  
"Oh," he shrugged, "here and there."  
  
"I hear that you turned down the captain position on Voyager."  
  
"Yes, I did. I just wouldn't feel right about it."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Voyager was your ship."  
  
"She was your ship too."  
  
"Yes, but I wasn't her captain, and I never could be. Besides, I don't belong in Starfleet."  
  
"Oh, Chakotay, don't be absurd, of course you do."  
  
"No, Kathryn, with you I belonged, but with out you I don't."  
  
She still didn't fully agree with him but she decided to leave it at that. She took his arm and they began walking in silence until she asked the question that had been nagging at the back of her mind since she first realized that the man was Chakotay, "So, how is Seven?"  
  
He shrugged his shoulders again and frowned slightly, "Oh, I don't know, fine I guess."  
  
"You mean you aren't…"  
  
"No."  
  
"What happened? "  
  
"Well we kept the relationship going for a wile but then we both kind of lost interest."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"We both realized that that wasn't what we really wanted." He chuckled slightly, "last I heard she was with the doctor."  
  
"After all those years he spent fawning after her all it took was some time apart."  
  
"Well, they say, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'."  
  
"Yes, they do." She said thoughtfully. It felt good just to be with him again.  
  
"Yes, it does." He whispered, putting his arm around her, until this moment he hadn't realized just how much he had missed her.  
  
Soon she realized that they were standing out side her building. She turned towards him, "Well, goodnight Chakotay, It was good to see you again."  
  
"Yes, it was good to see you again too." He hesitated not wanting leave her just yet.  
  
"Yes, um… good night." she began to turn to leave. But suddenly she stopped and faced him again. "Dinner," she almost shouted  
  
"What?"  
  
"Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?"  
  
He smiled broadly, "I'd love to."  
  
"Good, pick me up at 1900 hours?"  
  
"It's a date," he said with a wink. Then he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips before walking away. She watched him until he turned a corner and was out of sight. She smiled, it had been a small step but it held promise, a promise of tomorrow. 


End file.
